Pub owner: Folks will come downtown for a reason

Betsy Lopez Fritscher

Saturday

Nov 28, 2009 at 12:01 AMNov 28, 2009 at 9:44 AM

BELVIDERE — Chicago native Ken Kolanowski has a vision of an upscale tavern that he’s bringing to life. The scene for his new endeavor is none other than downtown Belvidere, a place he believes closes its doors too early and needs to become a destination more than a town people get accustomed to passing through.

BELVIDERE — Chicago native Ken Kolanowski has a vision of an upscale tavern that he’s bringing to life. The scene for his new endeavor is none other than downtown Belvidere, a place he believes closes its doors too early and needs to become a destination more than a town people get accustomed to passing through.

The experience of opening the pub has made Kolanowski realize that reality is far better than any dream as the project nears completion.

“If you give people a reason to come downtown, they will,” he said. “My vision’s a little clearer now. It’s going to be like if you took a North Side pub from Chicago and transported it right into Belvidere. It’s going to have food, it’s going to have entertainment and will be more of a gathering place than a straight-up drinking place. I’m sure there’s going to be plenty of drinking being done, but this is going to be where you go to meet your friends.”

The 30something has been working daily in recent months to open Kennitt’s Ale House, 410 S. State St., for the holiday season. But he has pushed the unveiling of the 3,500-square-foot space to the second week in January to pay attention to the finer details. Those include a main-floor bar he’s building by hand.

“I want to get this done right and not rush. It’s the little things that can kill you,” Kolanowski said. “I’m not trying to cut any corners or bypass anything.”

Helpful landlord
The building is being leased from Ed Marx, who owns about a dozen buildings downtown. Marx has been vital in bringing the project forward and helping Kolanowski attain permits, including a special-use and liquor license, even gave him a hand laying the pub’s new hickory flooring, Kolanowski said.

The offerings
In addition to a full bar, Kennitt’s will offer a full lunch and dinner menu and expects to be open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday and until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Patrons won’t find more than a couple of TVs in Kolanowski’s pub, as he intends for it to attract people 30 and older, empty-nesters and even semiretirees looking for a place to drink and talk.

“My neighborhood in Chicago had everything within walking distance,” he said. “Once I got laid off construction, I really started liking it (in Belvidere). And I thought to myself, this place needs a real pub. There’s plenty of bars throughout the neighborhood, but it needed a pub. When I walked into this space, I knew it was right. I walked upstairs, and the bar up there sealed the deal.”

Urge to revitalize
Marx has a passion for building up downtown with unique businesses and trusts Kennitt’s will draw the kind of crowd that will encourage Belvidere residents and officials to keep revitalization efforts in full gear.

“Ken is breaking ground and bringing in a new kind of business of a different caliber,” Marx said. “The caliber of the place will be high. It’s going to be unique. You can go to a lot of bars and they’ll be the same, but this will be a place where there will be great service and a nice environment. His ideas blend with what I’d like to see downtown, and it will help the public build their perception of what our downtown can be. We’re progressing. This is what we need.”

Call back to history
The handmade wooden bar Kolanowski is creating is being modeled after an already built bar upstairs in a space that will be open on occasion with live music to select guests invited to experience the 2,000-square-foot space with sofas, chairs and a nod to the Prohibition era.

“I see people (coming) who are my age, in their 30s, who have calmed down a little bit, have kids and don’t want a place that’s too crazy, but want to get a night out, tie one on and have a good time,” he said. “I’m staying with the feel I was trying to get, a kickback to the old speakeasy, Prohibition time period.”